Giant St Helier Hospital banner to come down after demise of BSBV review

It emerged two weeks ago the £219m redevelopment of St Helier Hospital is unlikely to go ahead due to the uncertainty caused by BSBV.

Following Tuesday's announcement the trust issued a statement confirming campaigners' long-held fears about the redevelopment which included a brand new state-of-the-art hospital building, hundreds of new beds and a new day nursery.

A model of how the new hospital was expected to look

The trust admitted that later this month they will take down the giant banner, which has adorned the front of the hospital since November 2011, stating the redevelopment was 'coming soon'.

A statement from Matthew Hopkins, the chief executive of the Epsom and St Helier trust said they remained committed to improving facilities but would be investing up to £90m over the next five years.

They also intend to spend about £2m a year improving quality and safety without borrowing to any money.

Mr Hopkins said: "While the Better Services Better Value review was underway we were unable to progress the redevelopment plans. The outline business case for this investment was developed in 2009.

"As such, we need to revisit this business case and work with our commissioners to agree a level of investment in our hospitals that is affordable and ensures that the services we provide are sustainable.

"It will take a number of months to agree these plans with our board, our commissioners and the wider NHS.

"In the meantime, we believe it makes sense to remove the banner from the front of St Helier Hospital later this month.

"As always, we would like to reassure patients that, during this time of planning and approval, our priority will remain - as it always has - to provide high quality, compassionate, care to every patient, every day."

Comments

I'll pay £100 for that banner just to march it to Tom Brake's office to demand he ask where the rest of the money has gone.

I'll pay £100 for that banner just to march it to Tom Brake's office to demand he ask where the rest of the money has gone.Niki R

I'll pay £100 for that banner just to march it to Tom Brake's office to demand he ask where the rest of the money has gone.

Score: -2

cicero35
12:47pm Thu 20 Feb 14

What now could be done the hospital needs renovating badly it beggars belief that this is not done.Also the staff infrastructure and care needs looking at I was treated very badly there not drunk arthritus flair up I was put in harms way lucky to get out less injured.I have a fear of going there again perhaps it does want closing.MPs should walkround there unanounced.

What now could be done the hospital needs renovating badly it beggars belief that this is not done.Also the staff infrastructure and care needs looking at I was treated very badly there not drunk arthritus flair up I was put in harms way lucky to get out less injured.I have a fear of going there again perhaps it does want closing.MPs should walkround there unanounced.cicero35

What now could be done the hospital needs renovating badly it beggars belief that this is not done.Also the staff infrastructure and care needs looking at I was treated very badly there not drunk arthritus flair up I was put in harms way lucky to get out less injured.I have a fear of going there again perhaps it does want closing.MPs should walkround there unanounced.

Score: -2

Marie from Sutton
2:54pm Thu 20 Feb 14

What a farce !

What a farce !Marie from Sutton

What a farce !

Score: -1

Michael Pantlin
7:26pm Thu 20 Feb 14

The broken promise on the misleading banner was not signed so what's the name of the person responsible who should be named and shamed. That artist's impression of the promised new building is confusing as it has no information orientating it to the present building. It wouldn't have taken much extra effort to mark Wrythe Lane on it. Personally I don't think we have missed much because of the slippery nature of NHS PR. You can bet that the "hundreds of new beds" would have been nullified by an even greater number of closed beds elsewhere in the hospital. The management's top wish expressed has seemed to be to "get the bulldozers in as soon as possible". Why was that? I suspect it was to demolish the bricks and mortar so that whatever the outcome of their closure plans reinstatement of services to their existing level would be impossible because the accommodation would have been smashed up. I have vast and long experience as a patient of the hospital, especially in the excellent Haematology Services. The main criticism I make is about the brashness of the enhanced Medical Assessment Team whose main aim is to kick patients out at the first opportunity no matter how they feel about it. They breeze through the wards with their ears shut like a broom sometimes not even informing the patient's usual specialist team what they are doing. Conveyor belt medicine is not good for the patient. Last time that happened I left A&E after four hours treatment on a drip feeling little better then when I arrived and spent the next week home alone in bed instead of the usual admission period of the previous 30 occasions. Money needs to be spent to expand the some of the treatment areas. The infusion day unit is so cramped and with such an intense input that patients and staff are nearly climbing over each other at times but no one is listening. Patients have to spend hours sitting up in an armchair rather than relaxing comfortably on a bed.

The broken promise on the misleading banner was not signed so what's the name of the person responsible who should be named and shamed. That artist's impression of the promised new building is confusing as it has no information orientating it to the present building. It wouldn't have taken much extra effort to mark Wrythe Lane on it. Personally I don't think we have missed much because of the slippery nature of NHS PR. You can bet that the "hundreds of new beds" would have been nullified by an even greater number of closed beds elsewhere in the hospital. The management's top wish expressed has seemed to be to "get the bulldozers in as soon as possible". Why was that? I suspect it was to demolish the bricks and mortar so that whatever the outcome of their closure plans reinstatement of services to their existing level would be impossible because the accommodation would have been smashed up. I have vast and long experience as a patient of the hospital, especially in the excellent Haematology Services. The main criticism I make is about the brashness of the enhanced Medical Assessment Team whose main aim is to kick patients out at the first opportunity no matter how they feel about it. They breeze through the wards with their ears shut like a broom sometimes not even informing the patient's usual specialist team what they are doing. Conveyor belt medicine is not good for the patient. Last time that happened I left A&E after four hours treatment on a drip feeling little better then when I arrived and spent the next week home alone in bed instead of the usual admission period of the previous 30 occasions. Money needs to be spent to expand the some of the treatment areas. The infusion day unit is so cramped and with such an intense input that patients and staff are nearly climbing over each other at times but no one is listening. Patients have to spend hours sitting up in an armchair rather than relaxing comfortably on a bed.Michael Pantlin

The broken promise on the misleading banner was not signed so what's the name of the person responsible who should be named and shamed. That artist's impression of the promised new building is confusing as it has no information orientating it to the present building. It wouldn't have taken much extra effort to mark Wrythe Lane on it. Personally I don't think we have missed much because of the slippery nature of NHS PR. You can bet that the "hundreds of new beds" would have been nullified by an even greater number of closed beds elsewhere in the hospital. The management's top wish expressed has seemed to be to "get the bulldozers in as soon as possible". Why was that? I suspect it was to demolish the bricks and mortar so that whatever the outcome of their closure plans reinstatement of services to their existing level would be impossible because the accommodation would have been smashed up. I have vast and long experience as a patient of the hospital, especially in the excellent Haematology Services. The main criticism I make is about the brashness of the enhanced Medical Assessment Team whose main aim is to kick patients out at the first opportunity no matter how they feel about it. They breeze through the wards with their ears shut like a broom sometimes not even informing the patient's usual specialist team what they are doing. Conveyor belt medicine is not good for the patient. Last time that happened I left A&E after four hours treatment on a drip feeling little better then when I arrived and spent the next week home alone in bed instead of the usual admission period of the previous 30 occasions. Money needs to be spent to expand the some of the treatment areas. The infusion day unit is so cramped and with such an intense input that patients and staff are nearly climbing over each other at times but no one is listening. Patients have to spend hours sitting up in an armchair rather than relaxing comfortably on a bed.

Ipsoregulated

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